A Look Back At Truman Capote's Iconic Coterie Of High Society Swans

You could say that Truman Capote had a thing for fashion icons. Nancy 'Slim' Keith, New York and Hollywood socialite, graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar at the age of 22. Dubbed the “California Girl” with her blonde hair and athletic body, she attracted many men including Ernest Hemingway (with whom she dashed off to Cuba) and Clark Gable, who pursued her vehemently. She met Howard Hawks, the notable film director, in 1938, whom she later married. The two divorced and she married movie producer, Leland Hayward, furthering her dominance on each of the coastal scenes. Slim’s third and final marriage was to British banker, Kenneth Keith (who was also casually a Baron, making Slim a "Lady" in the most official sense). She ran with the upper echelon of Park Avenue, including fellow swan Babe Paley, and Capote enjoyed the fruits of her influence. After reading his thinly-veiled references, however, Slim dispeled him from her inner circle and never spoke to him again.